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French Composition (Help Needed!)
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tritone
Senior Member
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reflectionsinpo
Joined 6124 days ago
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Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, French

Message 1 of 6

29 December 2009 at 7:30am | IP Logged

I came across a book of french composition exercises in google books, and I thought it would be fun to go through it. Since there is no answer key and I don't want to do the exercises blindly I decided make a journal here, and have people correct my mistakes. I realize that this is asking a lot, so i would be grateful if anyone would be gracious enough to help. My goal is to do 3-4 exercizes a week.

Part I:
L'arrivé en France

Quote:

"We had a good time on the boat, John, didn't we?"- "Yes, but I am glad to land, because I would like to begin to travel in France at once. I prefer to see interesting things and to learn to speak French. You have already been in France and you speak French well, but it is the first time that I have ever travelled. What shall we go to see?" - "In Boulogne there are not many interesting things to see, and it is not worth while stopping here, since you have not seen Paris, which is the most interesting city in France. We have only two months to travel and it would be better to go to Paris once." - "Agreed," said john.

Would you like to go with them? Let me present them to you: Charles Brown and JOhn Stone, two young Americans. They will tell you all that they see in France, if you will listen to them. - Very well, sir, we are all agreed.

After having disembarked, John and Charles went at once to the station in order to buy tickets. John wanted to go into the baggage-rooms to buy them; he had never been in France and did not understand French. "Don't go in that way," Charles said to him, "go into that room where you see the passengers. There is one of our friends from the boat! He has already bought his ticket."

John stayed there with his friend, and Charles went off to buy the tickets and have the baggage checked. He did not forget to give a tip to the porter who carried their satchels.

"All aboard for Paris!"
"Come, Johh, Don't you hear what that man is shouting?"
"Yes, but you forget that i don't understand him." - "Well, our train is ready and you must hurry. Come at once, and don't forget your satchel! No, not in that car, that one is for smokers; let us take the other one. That's it! - But where is our friend?" - "he said he wanted to smoke, and he went into the smoking-car."

"What place do you want, John?" - "I like to be near the window in order to look at the landscape." - "So do I, but we can sit opposite each other in the trains in Europe, as you know."

"I am sorry that we haven't time to stop at Amiens, where there are many interesting things to see," said Charles, "but we can't see everything in two months. - There, the train is starting, and we are at last on our way to Paris."

My attempt at the translation:

Nous nous sommes bien amusés dans le bateau, John, n'est pas? - "Oui, je suis bien aise d'avoir débarqués, parceque je voudrais commencer à voyager en France toute de suite. Je préfère voir des choses intéressantes et apprendre à parler Français. Tu as déjà été en France, et tu parles même assez bien français, mais c'est la première fois que je voyage. Que voyons nous?" - "À Boulogne il n'y a pas beaucoup de choses intéressantes à voir, et il ne vaut pas la peine de nous arrêter ici, puisque tu n'as pas vu Paris, qui est la ville la plus intéressante de France. Nous n'avons que deux mois pour voyager et il serait mieux d'aller à Paris à l'instant." - "C'est entendu," dit John.

Voulez-vous aller avec eux? Permettez-moi de vous présenter à eux: Charles Brown and John Stone, deux jeunes Américains. Ils vous raconteront tout ce qu'ils voient en France, si vous les écouterez. Bien sur, monsieur, nous sommes d'accord.

Aprés avoir débarqués, John et Charles sont allés toutes de suite à la station pour prendre des billets, JOhn a voulu entrer dans la salle des bagages pour les prendre; il n'avait jamais été en france et ne comprenait pas français. "N'entrez pas par là" lui dit Charles, "Entrez dans cette salle ou tu vois les passagers. Voici un de nos amis du bateau! Il a déjà prit son billet."

John a resté là avec son ami, et Charles est allé prendre les billets et faire enregistrer les bagages. Il n'a pas oublié donner un pourboire au commissionnaire qui portait ses valises.

"Les voyageurs pour la direction de Paris, en voiture!"
"Allons, John, n'entendes-tu pas ce qu'il crie?"
"Oui, mais tu oublies que je ne lui comprends pas." - "Alors, notre train est prêt et il faut vous hâter. Allons toute de suite, et n'oublie pas ton valise! Non, pas dans cet wagon, celui-ci est pour les fumeurs; prenons l'autre. Voilà l'affaire! - Mais oú est notre ami?" - "Il a dit qu'il voulait fumer, et il est allé dans le défense de fumer."

"Quelle place veux-tu, John?" - "J'aime être près de la fenêtre pour regarder le paysage." - "Moi de même, mais nous pouvons s'asseoir vis-à-vis l'un de l'autre dans les train en Europe, comme tu sais.

"Je suis désolé que nous n'avons pas le temps de s'arrêter en Ameins, oú il y a beaucoup de choses intéressantes à voir," dit Charles, "mais nous ne pouvons pas voir tout en deux mois. - Le train commence, et nous sommes finalement en route pour Paris."

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tritone
Senior Member
United States
reflectionsinpo
Joined 6124 days ago
246 posts - 385 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, French

Message 2 of 6

30 December 2009 at 10:42pm | IP Logged

Part 2:
Paris

Quote:

Everybody got out when the train stopped at the station in Paris. The two young Americans looked at everything with much interest, and John wanted to begin sight-seeing at once. Charles told him that it would be better to go first to the hotel where they had ordered a room, to see if everything was ready. "All right," said John.

They took an open cab in order to get an idea of teh streets of Paris. On the way to the hotel John asked Charles what the buildings were which they were passing. Charles did not know them all, but he asked the coachman, who told them the names of the streets and of the public buildings. "These buildings are not so high as those in New York," said John. "No," said Charles, "we have no sky-scrapers in Europe, but the Eiffel-tower is higher than the highest building in the United States. It is 984 feet or 300 meters high."

"But Charles, why don't you tell the cabman to what hotel we want to go?"- "Well, that was stupid! Drive us to the hotel Victoria!"

"John, what do you think of the story which I told you?" - "Do you mean the story about the fiancés?" - "Yes." - "Well, it was too extraordinary, and I don't think it is true." - "But I was with them on the top of the omnibus, and I heard all they said. I was sitting near the young lady. We lived in the same boarding-house two years ago, and I used to speak German and French with them. Neither of them knew English, but they spoke French after a fashion, and I often amused myself by listening to them. How funny it was to hear her speak French! I left the boarding-house soon afterwards ,and I have no other stories to tell you about them."

At the hotel our travellers found their room ready. They wanted to go up to it at once, and, since it was on the third story, they took the elevator. Their baggage had already been brought up by one of the porters of the hotel, who was waiting for them in the room in order to know if they wished anythin gelse. He spoke French and John did not understand what he meant, but Charles said, "No, thank you, not just now."

"How much did you pay the cabman, Charles?" - "I gave him what he asked, 2 fr, 50 and a tip. That was cheap, wasn't it? At home we would have paid twice as much. - Aren't you glad to be in Paris, John? To-morrow we must begin to see the sights."

My translation:

Tout le monde a descendu quand le train est arrivé à la station à Paris. Les deux jeunes Américains ont regardé tout avec grand intéret, et John voulait commencer visiter toutes les curiosités toute de suite. Charles lui dit que il serait mieux d'abord aller à l'hôtel où ils avaient commandé une chambre, à voir se tout était prête. "D'accord" dit John.

Ils ont prit un fiacre pour faire une idée des rues de Paris. En route à l'hôtel John a demandé à Charles quel édifice c'était qui ils se passait. Charles ne savait pas toutes, mais il a demandé à le cocher, qui lui dit le nombre des rues et les édifices publiques. "Ces édifices ne sont pas aussi haute que ceux de New York," dit John. "Non," dit Charles, "Nous n'avons aucun gratte-ciel en Europe, mais la tour Eiffel est plus haute que la plus haute édifice aux États-Unis. C'est 984 pieds ou 300 mètres de haut."

Mais Charles, pourquoi ne dites-vous au cocher à quelle hôtel nous voulons aller? "Voila qui est stupide! Conduisez-nous à l'hôtel Victoria!"

"John, que penses-tu à l'histoire que je t'ai dit?" - "Tu veux dire l'histoire des fiancés?" - "Oui." - "C'était trop extraordinaire, et je ne pense pas que soit vraie." - "Mais j'étais avec eux sur l'impériale, et j'ai écouté tout ce qu'ils ont dit. J'étais assis près de la demoiselle. Nous demeurions dans la même pension il y a deux ans, et je parlais l'allemand et le français avec eux. Aucune d'eux ne savait pas l'anglais, mais ils parlaient le français tant bien que mal, et je m'amusais souvent à les écouter. Que drôle c'était de lui écouter parler le français! Je suis parti du pension bientôt après, et je n'ai plus d'histoires de te rappeler d'eux."

À l'hôtel notre voyageurs ont trouvé leur chambre prêt. Ils désiraient y monter toute de suite, et, puisque c'était au troisième, ils ont prit l'ascenseur. Leur baggage avaient déjà été montés par un employé de l'hôtel, qui les attendait dans la chambre pour savoir s'ils désiraient autre chose. Il parlait le français et John ne comprenait pas ce qu'il voulait dire, mais Charles a dit, "Non, merci, pas pour l'instant."

"Combien as-tu payé au cocher, Charles?" - "Je lui ai donné ce qu'il m'a demandé, 2 fr,50 et un pourboire. Ce n'était pas trop cher, n'était pas? Chez nous on payerait le double. N'es-tu pas heureux d'être à Paris, John? Demain on doit commencer à voir les curiosités.

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tritone
Senior Member
United States
reflectionsinpo
Joined 6124 days ago
246 posts - 385 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, French

Message 3 of 6

02 January 2010 at 9:36pm | IP Logged

Part 3:
Dans un restaurant

Quote:

"How tired I am," said John one day: "we have been walking for four hours without anything to eat or drink; don't you think that it is high time to find a restaurant?" "Gladly,"answered his friend; "I told you the first day that it was work as well as pleasure to visit a city like Paris. I have been hungry for some time, too, but I did not want to say so while you were having such a good time that you forgot to be hungry and thirsty. - Here is one of the C - restaurants; they are good and cheap."

They went in and Charles asked the waiter if there was a small table vacant near a window.
"We are very comfortable here, don't you think so?", said Charles when they were seated at the table. "You can look out of the window and see the passers-by. We must pay more for these places, but it is worth while. - This restaurant looks inviting, I think." - "you are right,"said JOhn, "but here is the waiter," The waiter handed Charles the bill of fare. "I will let you choose, John,"said Charles; "what do you wish to eat? You may order whatever you wish, and I will pay for it, but don't forget, as you did yesterday, that we don't eat oysters in mid-summer."

"Well, you know that I am very found of oysters,"replied John. "Why, there are so many things to eat that I shall have some difficulty in choosing. In any case let us have some fish; I would like to see whether the sole in Paris is better than the French sole they give us in New York. Then I would like some roast-beef." - "Rare or well done?" - "I prefer to have it well done for my part." - "Charles, why doesn't the waiter bring us the vegetables? You ordered some green peas and some cauliflower, didn't you?" - "Yes, indeed, but in France vegetables are not usually served with the meats. I think you will like that custom, but I don't think you will like the custom of paying for the cover, as we have to do here. You will see it when the waiter brings me the bill. - Will you have some wine?"- "Yes, some claret, please."- "Don't you wish some ice-cream, too?" - "Certainly, you know that as well as I do, Charles." "Well, let me give you a little lesson in French in case you are alone and you want to order ice-cream: de la glace means 'ice,' but you must ask for une glace (des glaces), if you want ice-cream."

"That was a good dinner,"said John, as he drank his black coffe, "and I feel much better. I like to eat in restaurants, and I wish our friends at home could see what a good time we are having."

My translation:

"Comme je suis fatigué," dit John un jour: "Nous marchons depuis quatre heures sans rien à manger ou boire; Ne penses-tu que c'est grand temps de trouver un restaurant?"
" Très volontiers," répondit son ami; "Je t'ai déjà dit le premier jour que c'était aussi penible qu'agréable visiter un ville comme Paris. J'ai faim depuis quelque temps, aussi, mais je n'ai pas voulu dire pendant que tu t'amusais tant que tu oubliais avoir faim et soif. - Voici un restaurant C; ils sont bons et bon marché."

Ils sont entrés et Charles a demandé au garçon se il y avait un petite table de libre près d'une fenêtre. Nous voici très bien, n'est pas?" dit Charles quand ils étaient assis au table. "Tu peux regarder par le fenêtre et voir les passants. Ces lieux sont plus cher, mais il vaut la peine. Ce restaurant a bon air, je pense." - "Tu as raison," dit john, "mais voici le garçon," Le garçon a donné la carte du jour à Charles. "Je te laisse choisir, John," dit Charles; "Que désires-tu manger?" Tu peux demander tout ce que tu désires, et je le payerai, mais ne oublies pas, comme tu as fait hier, on ne mange pas des huîtres en plein été.

Bien, tu sais que je suis très friand de huîtres," répondit John. - "Il y a tant de choses à manger que je vais avoir de la peine à choisir. En toute cas, prennons des poisson; je voudrais voir si le sole en Paris est meilleur que le sole français qu'on nous donne en New York. Puis Je voudrais des rostbif." "Faite bien cuire ou saignant?" - "Je le préfère bien cuire le mien." - "Charles, pourquoi le garçon ne nous donne les légumes? Tu as demandé des petits pois et Choux-fleurs, n'est pas?" - "Oui, bien sûr, mais en France ce n'est pas d'usage servir les légumes avec le viande. Je pense que tu vas aimer cet usage, mais je ne pense pas que tu vas aimer l'usage de payer le couvert, comme on fait ici. Tu vas le voir quand le garçon me donne l'addition. Vas-tu prendre du vin? - "Oui, des claret, s'il vous plaît." "Ne désires-tu des glace, aussi?" - "Bien sûr, tu sais aussi bien que moi, Charles." "Bien, laisse-moi te donner un petit leçon de français dans le cas où tu es seul et tu veux commander des glace: de la glace veut dire 'ice,' mais on doit demander une glace, si tu veux 'ice-cream."

"C'était un bon dîneur." dit John, en buvant son café noir, "et je me sens beaucoup mieux. J'aime manger dans des restaurants, et je souhaite que nos amis chez nous puissent voir comment nous nous amusons."

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tritone
Senior Member
United States
reflectionsinpo
Joined 6124 days ago
246 posts - 385 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, French

Message 5 of 6

03 January 2010 at 9:13pm | IP Logged

Part 4
Dans un Magasin.

Quote:

John and Charles had many good dinners in Paris. Often they would dine on the boulevard; they found that very amusing and they liked to watch the passers-by. Once after they had gone out of a restaurant Charles wanted to put on his gloves. He liked to be well-gloved, and he always wore them in the street. After having put one on he found that he had lost the other one. "that is too bad,"he said, "I don't know where I can have lost it."- "In the restaurant, perhaps,"said John, "where we dined just now. The waiter has no doubt picked it up; let us go and look for it."

they asked the waiter whether he had found a glove near the table which they had just left, but he said that he had not seen any.

I told you that it wasn't worth while," said Charles; "now I shall have to go and buy another pair. Let us take the omnibus to the Avenue de l'Opéra. I know a little shop there where I have bought gloves before."

On the way they saw many signs of "English spoken," in the windows. "Many strangers who come to Paris like to go into those shops,"said Charles, "because they don't know French. For my part I prefer to go where only French is spoken, and to speak French. In order to learn to speak a foreign language, my teacher used to say, you must be a chatter-box.

Americans often go into shops in Europe in order to look at things without buying anything. - The french don't like that; they go into a shop in order to buy something."

As Charles went into the little shop he took off his hat and said, "good morning, madam." John kept his hat on. "I have just lost one of my globes," said Charles, "and I must buy another pair." - "Very well, sir, said the shop-keeper, what is your number? Do you wish dark-colored gloves?" - "I want a good pair of dark gloves," replied Charles, "but I have fogotten the number. i think the best is the cheapest, or, as you say in French, the cheap is always expensive. I will take this pair at six francs and that one at five francs fifty. - John, don't you want to buy some too? Gloves are much cheaper here than in America, and they are very well made."- "You are right," said John, and he asked the shop-keepr to give him several pairs. But he spoke English and she did not understand him. "I will be your interpreter," said Charles. - "thank you, sir," said she, "I speak German and French, but not English; it is too bad, because there are so many Americans who come into my little shop. My daughter speaks English, but she has just gone out."

"I like that custom of taking off one's hat when there are women in the shops," said John; "we don't do that at home; we are not so polite."- "Yes,"said Charles, "but I have seen shops in Europe where they had put up the sign: Keep your hat on. That is odd, isn't it?"

My translation:

John et Charles avaient beaucoup de bons dîners à Paris. Souvent, ils dîneraient sur le boulevard; ils trouvaient cela très amusant et ils aimaient voir le passants. Une fois, depuis qu'ils avaient parti de un restaurant, Charles a voulu mettre ses gants. Il aimait à être bien ganté, et il les portait toujours dans la rue. Depuis avoir mis un, il a trouvé qu'il a perdu l'autre. "C'est dommage," dit-il, "Je ne sais pas où je peux l'avoir perdu." - "Dans le restaurant, peut être," dit John, "Où nous avons dîné toute à l'heure. Le garçon l'aura sans doute ramassé. Allons-y le chercher.

Ils ont demandé à le garçon s'il avait trouvé un gant près de le table à qu'ils venaient de partir, mais il a dit qu'il n'en avait vu.

Je t'ai dit qu'il ne valait pas la peine," dit Charles; "maintenant, il me faudra aller en acheter une autre paire. Prenons le omnibus à l'avenue de l'opéra. Je connais un petit magasin où j'ai acheté des gants autrefois."

Chemin faisant ils voyaient beaucoup des vitrines de "ici on parle anglais" sur les fenêtres. "Beaucoup d'étrangers qui viennent à Paris aiment entrer dans ces magasins," dit Charles, "parce qu'ils ne savent pas le Français. De ma part, Je préfère aller où on ne parle que le français, et parler le Français. Pour apprendre une langue étrangère, on doit être une jacasse.

Les Américains souvent entrent dans des magasins en Europe pour voir les choses sans acheter rien. Les Français n'aiment pas cela; ils entrent dans un magasin pour acheter quelque chose."

Comme Charles entre dans le petit magasin il a ôté son chapeau et a dit, "Bonjour, madame." John a gardé son chapeau. "Je viens de perdre un de mes gants," dit Charles, "et Je dois acheter une autre paire. "Très bien, monsieur, dit la marchande; quelle est votre pointure? Désirez-vous des gants foncée?" - "Je veux d'une paire de gants foncée,' répondit Charles, "mais J'ai oublié le pointure. Je pense que la meilleure est le meilleur marché, ou, comme on dit en Français le bon marché est toujours cher. Je vais prendre cette paire-ci à six francs et cette-là a cinq francs. Ne veux-tu pas en acheter aussi? Les gants sont beaucoup meilleur marché ici qu'en Amérique, et ils sont très bien faits." - "Tu as raison," dit John, et il a demandé à la marchande de lui donner plusieurs paires. Mais il a parlé en anglais et elle ne le comprenait pas. Je vais être ton interprète," dit Charles. - "Merci, monsieur," dit-elle, "Je parle allemand et français, mais pas Anglais; c'est dommage, parce qu'il y a tant d'Américains qui entrent dans mon petit magasin. Ma fille parle l'anglais, mais elle vient de partir."

"J'aime l'usage d'ôter le chapeau quand il y a des femmes dans les magasins," dit John; "Nous ne faisons pas cela chez nous; Nous ne sommes pas si polis." - "Oui," dit Charles, "mais J'ai vu des magasins en Europe où on avait mis le vitrine: Gardez votre chapeau. C'est rare, n'est pas?"

1 person has voted this message useful

tritone
Senior Member
United States
reflectionsinpo
Joined 6124 days ago
246 posts - 385 votes

Speaks: English*
Studies: Spanish, Portuguese, French

Message 6 of 6

03 January 2010 at 9:40pm | IP Logged

Buttons wrote:

I think you will get a better response on Lang-8.com.

This website is for people to put up written pieces of work and native speakers then correct your written work. You then do the same for people who are writing pieces of work in your native language. This service is completely free.

Good luck!

I took your advice...and i'll see if I get any responses there. But I think i'll continue to post the excersizes here anyway.

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